MA-Waiver Services, Working, and Other Programs
Working and MA-Waiver Programs
One of the keys to keeping access to MA-Waiver services is to stay eligible for disability-based Medical Assistance (MA) or Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities (MA-EPD). If you work and your countable monthly income rises above 100% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines ($1,255 per month for an individual, $1,704 for a family of two), there's a chance you could lose your disability-based MA coverage (and your MA-Waiver services as a result).
Fortunately, there are ways to keep disability-based MA coverage when your countable monthly income rises above $1,255:
If you’re on MA via SSI's 1619(b) provision, you can actually earn up to $74,611 annually and still maintain access to MA.
If you have questions about working and keeping eligibility for MA or a MA-Waiver program, Chat with a Hub expert.
Note: Many people who get MA get it because they have low income, not because they have a disability determination. You have to get MA based on your disability in order to qualify for MA-Waivers programs.
Employment Services
You can get help exploring work options, finding a job, and keeping a job in the community through your MA-Waiver program:
- Exploration services (such as hands-on work experience) can help you learn about different jobs and make your own decisions about working in the community,
- Development services can help you find the right job or get started with self-employment,
- Support services (such as job coaching) can help you keep your job in the community.
The exact services you get depend on your needs. Talk to your waiver case manager about the employment services that are right for you.
The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has a brochure introducing these waiver services.
For more information about MA-Waiver services, Chat with a Hub expert.
MA-Waiver Services and Other Disability Benefit Programs
Many people with disabilities are on more than one disability benefit program at the same time. For example, many people who get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are also on Medical Assistance (MA). Many people who get Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits are also on Medicare.
There are no laws that prevent you from getting services from a MA-Waiver program and other disability benefit programs at the same time. Changes in your Medicare, Minnesota Supplemental Aid (MSA), or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, for example, will not affect your eligibility for a MA-Waiver program unless those changes affect your eligibility for MA or MA-EPD. If you lose your disability-based MA or MA-EPD, you will lose your MA-Waiver services.
As soon as something impacts your eligibility for disability-based MA or MA-EPD though, it can affect your eligibility for MA-Waiver services. If you lose your disability-based MA or MA-EPD coverage, you will also lose your MA-Waiver services.
Bearing that in mind, here are some things that could affect your eligibility for MA and MA-EPD:
- Losing your SSI or MSA: If you’re on SSI or MSA, you will qualify for disability-based MA if you apply for it. If you lose your SSI or MSA though, you may lose your MA coverage as well (and your MA-Waiver services, by extension)
- An Increase in Assets: If your assets suddenly go up, you may lose your disability-based MA and MA-Waiver coverage
- Medical Redetermination: If Social Security or the State Medical Review Team (SMRT) determines that you are no longer disabled, you would lose your disability-based MA and MA-Waiver coverage. This is known as medical redetermination.
If you have any questions about how to keep your MA-Waiver coverage, Chat with a Hub expert.
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